To be a better person.

Fortunately Zoho Writer is able to publish these things when we export them. I am also experimenting with Scribd for more graphic purposes.

I have been thinking about the guest post for several days now, and, Yes, I will write about the Paige Anne School and the Michael Schofield story.

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, and this week Schofield and the family have been on Oprah.

I am now writing a letter to Mr Schofield for permission. Actually, the media people are Steve Truitt and Tracy Metro. A blog is ‘the media’ even if it is not ‘mainstream media’.

January Schofield turned 7 this year (her birthday is on August the 8th).

I am especially interested in the way he dealt with his mother who herself had (undiagnosed) schizophrenia. And there is so much material in the blogs he writes, positive and negative both.

And Jani is half-Australian because her Dad is Australian-born. This might add a little bit of interest, so we can compare systems and notes.

This is probably the most relevant blog that Schofield wrote:

http://www.januaryfirst.org/ww.....t_Out.html

There is a man named Michael Schofield who is a university professor (or was, before his daughter’s schizophrenia became severe enough to require ‘hospitalisation in the home’) and he gives the answer, ‘To be a better person’ which is immeasurably better than ‘To pass the exam’.

He is going to start a school called the Paige Anne School for young people with mental illness. This reminds me very much of the Steiner and Montessori models where children of all ages work together. In the Steiner case, you have a teacher for eight years, and in the Montessori case, you are with the same classmates for three years in three different stages.

Principals and teachers are also learning a lot about how not to bully. There is Practical Tools for Principals which talks about policies and procedures against this, and especially effective ways to lead and manage and better ways to understand each other.

Love the idea of speaking to kids in duck language.

I don’t think it’s just getting older that would stop bullying. Yes, bullying is more prevalent in certain ages and circumstances.

If hypocrisy is so ‘flagrant’ then why does it pass ‘without remark’. If it’s in your face, then surely you must say something. I know that I would. But, yes, it does get into the skin and one takes it for granted after a while.

I couldn’t put someone on trial for obnoxiousness, nor imagine doing so. It would be too mean for me, too close to my bullying threshold.